Revitalize Your Team: Boost Workplace Inclusion to Tackle Burnout

In a recent report, Boston Consulting Group drew a parallel between boosting workplace inclusion and resolving employee burnout, and their reasoning is sound. Across the globe, job markets aren’t as stable as they should be, and employees have been left with varying degrees of burnout and dissociation from their work. They have to do their jobs, that’s a given, but doing the work does not spark the same enthusiasm that they started their careers with. During such times, helping employees feel like valued members of the team can go a long way in clearing some of the fog they’re lost in. The key to employee inclusion is considering their needs and providing them with all the support required. 

If you’re looking for strategies on how to make employees feel included and welcome at work, here are some action points to consider.

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It’s Time to Boost Workplace Inclusion and Beat Employee Burnout

The link between burnout and the lack of inclusion is unsurprising. If employees who are already exhausted by their day-to-day tasks don’t have any connection to the organization, it’s quite easy to start doubting the purpose of the work they do every day. Boston Consulting Group surveyed 11,000 desk-based and frontline workers across eight countries and found that an average of 48 percent were dealing with burnout. The numbers were highest in Australia and Canada at 53 and 52 percent respectively, but the U.S. and France followed close behind at 50 percent. 

The study also found that marginalized groups dealt with up to 26 percent higher levels of burnout. This included women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities. These groups have felt the effects of isolation much more strongly than groups that are not typically marginalized, and as the report indicates, burnout levels among them are higher. Diversity and inclusion at work are often discussed as key goals for the organization, but the commitment to DEI initiatives often falls behind other priorities. 

Creating an inclusive work atmosphere goes beyond a few scattered policies to hire diverse team members. Boosting workplace inclusion requires employers to get every employee to feel more involved and essential to the organization, benefiting everyone involved in the process. Every business already holds the keys to employee inclusion, but it all comes down to when and how it uses them. Employees who see a genuine attempt from the organization will also be able to return the same sense of genuine appreciation towards the business.

How to Make Employees Feel Included at Work

There are a substantial number of strategies to try out in order to boost workplace inclusion. The best way to get started is by asking employees how they’re doing and what they need for them to beat burnout, but if you don’t want to wait for more employee data to start planning, there are some policy changes and tactics you can get started with at once. According to the BCG, there are four processes that have the most significant effect on inclusion:

• Employee access to resources
• Managerial support from seniors
• Psychological safety with a direct manager
• Fair and equal opportunities for success

From the suggestions, it is evident that employees feel included when they are supported by the team around them. Employees want to feel secure with, and supported by, their managers and senior organization members. Regular interactions with them can provide them with a real connection at work and any emotional needs are also safeguarded this way. Employees who can seek out their managers and explore the benefits that are available for them personally and professionally will find themselves in a much better position to deal with any traces of burnout. Addressing the problem at the root and creating an engaging work culture for employees is imperative.

All four items on their list are simple and straightforward—employees want to feel like the organization is receptive to them and that it has space for their well-being and growth. 

Employee Inclusion Tips To Get You Started

The BCG suggested some clear solutions on how to make employees feel included and beat burnout among them, but there are additional recommendations we can make to further those strategies. Let’s chalk in some more ideas while we’re at it.

• Set up simple communication channels so employees can always find the most direct plan to be heard
• Be responsive—having a channel for communication is not sufficient and employee concerns need to be addressed regularly
• Hire people managers who can focus their energy on creating an involved team
• Take the initiative to check in with employees regularly instead of waiting for performance reviews when they are already under great stress
• Invest in mentorship programs to create avenues for seeking support and guidance
• Include employees in important decisions within the organization when possible
• Work with the HR team to settle on some key strategies for employee inclusion and clear targets that need to be met—the less abstract the goals are, the easier it is to track
• Track employee performance and be proactive about reaching out to employees with new opportunities, roles, and promotions
• Create diverse teams by hiring employees across different walks of life at every level of the organization
• Create employee resource groups to help employees find their community of support
• Regularly invest in team-building initiatives that can help employees get to know each other
• Work with DEI experts to gather employee inclusion tips from them and create more expansive changes across the organization
• Set ground rules for communicating with employees outside of work hours or when they are on leave and respect these boundaries
• To beat employee burnout, encourage employees to use their PTO and take a break when they need it

Boosting workplace inclusion and addressing employee burnout might feel like two very separate problems, but there is an evident connection between these processes. Envision how you can make employees feel included and supported, prioritize a few strategies to begin with, and get started with bridging your workforce together. Take regular feedback on how your teams are progressing and you’ll find success before you know it. 

The post Revitalize Your Team: Boost Workplace Inclusion to Tackle Burnout appeared first on The HR Digest.

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